Perdue, Isakson join Trump allies in anti-impeachment campaign
Published 1:45 pm Friday, October 25, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Johnny Isakson have signed onto GOP’s anti-impeachment push.
The Republican senator is one of dozens of original cosponsors on a resolution condemning House Democrats for their impeachment inquiry.
Prior to anymore investigation into impeachment, the resolution reads, the House should vote to open a formal impeachment inquiry to “provide President Trump with fundamental constitutional protections.”
The resolution was released Thursday by Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
“The House of Representatives is abandoning more than a century’s worth of precedent and tradition in impeachment proceedings and denying President Trump basic fairness and due process accorded every American,” it reads.
When asked for a statement on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s formal announcement of impeachment inquiry last month, a spokesperson forwarded a statement he made to Atlanta-Journal Constitution reporter, Tamar Hallerman, in Washington, D.C.
“They’ve weaponized politics here. They have obstructed this president since day one,” Perdue told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “I see this as premature. I just think it is time to move on and start legislating instead of all this investigating.”
After initial silence, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson decided to join his GOP colleagues in cosponsoring the resolution.
“He has said all along that wants to make sure he’s doing his part as a member of the Senate to ensure a fair process,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “He will continue to carefully monitor all the information available should the matter come before the Senate for consideration before his retirement on Dec. 31.”
When asked last month for comment on the impeachment inquiry announcement by Pelosi, Isakson’s office gave a similar response and said the senator would continue to monitor the situation should it come before the Senate.
The resolution uses impeachment investigations into President Richard M. Nixon and President William J. Clinton as examples of investigations where former presidents were guaranteed due process through rules set in place by the House Judiciary Committee.